news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Southwest Airlines has put a Chicago-based pilot on paid leave and is investigating an incident Tuesday in which the pilot allegedly prepared to operate a flight from Columbus, Ohio, with alcohol on his breath.

Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said Friday that the carrier “‘immediately replaced the captain’,” and the flight to Orlando, Fla., operated on time.

The airport police officer who investigated said in his report that the pilot never appeared under the influence of alcohol or drugs and didn’t stagger or fall.

source: Dallas News

Spanish budget airline, Vueling, have added four more destinations to their growing network. Bases on operating services to popular Mediterranean destinations Vueling has added Barcelona to Ibiza and Minorca, Madrid to Ibiza and Malta and Malaga to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Flights commence late in March 2009.

source: alternativeairlines.com

The Spanish no-frills airline Clickair has become the first European carrier to allow pets in the cabin on domestic and international flights. From July 2009, and subject to local regulations, dogs, cats and rabbits (and possibly chickens) weighing no more than 17lb “‘may travel in a suitable crate placed at the feet of their owners’”.

source: timesonline.co.uk

Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is considering an investment in Air Berlin, Germany’s second-largest airline.

The company’s senior management has been intensively studying the idea for several weeks; no decision has been made.

The German carrier has a well-established, dense and non-centered European and domestic network currently served by a fleet of 112 aircraft. Its biggest bases are Duesseldorf and Berlin — two airports that Etihad does not serve. To a limited degree, Air Berlin could feed Etihad’s Munich services and to an even lesser degree its Frankfurt departures. Slot constraints make reshaping of the network difficult to achieve.

source: aviationweek.com

Ryanair has announced a one-off return flight to Madrid for Liverpool FC fans travelling to the Spanish capital.

Usually, the route is available only in the summer, but the airline has bowed to popular demand.

Large numbers have called the Ryanair telephone lines inquiring about flights to Madrid for the Reds Champions League away match on February 25.

The special flight will depart Liverpool at 9am on February 25 and return from Madrid on February 26 at 1pm.

source: liverpoolecho.co.uk

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline, yesterday won a significant legal victory in its long-running battle with Brussels over airport subsidies.

The Luxembourg-based Court of First Instance, one of the top courts in Europe, upheld the airline’s appeal against the decision in 2004 by the European Commission to block reduced airport charges and marketing support for the airline at Belgium’s Charleroi airport.

source: FT.com

Air Berlin, Europe’s third-biggest low-cost airline, saw third quarter operating earnings increase as cost cuts helped its bottom line and more business travellers appeared to sign up for discount travel.

The three months to September saw an end to several quarters of worsening performance, following the takeover of two smaller rivals – DBA in 2006 and LTU in 2007 – that saw capacity and costs spiral.

A merger with Condor, a charter airline, was called off earlier this year.

The carrier this summer said it would shrink its fleet by 10 per cent to 120 aircraft, as well as reduce European and some long-haul routes. These moves helped boost seat-utilisation rates even as passenger numbers fell.

source: FT.com

Irish government opposition is weakening to Ryanair’s 750 million euro ($952 million) bid for former state airline Aer Lingus.

The government, which owns more than 25 percent of the loss-making flag carrier, opposed Ryanair’s 2006 bid for Aer Lingus, which was blocked by the European Union on competition grounds.

A spokeswoman for the transport ministry said it would not comment until Ryanair submits its formal bid for Aer Lingus. Europe’s biggest budget airline said on Thursday it would publish the formal bid within the next two weeks.

source: Reuters

The budget airline Ryanair is to make a fresh takeover offer for the Irish flag-carrier Aer Lingus. The all-cash offer would value Aer Lingus at 748m euros ($950m; £619m).

Ryanair’s previous offer for Aer Lingus, which valued it at 1.5bn euros, was blocked by the European Commission on competition grounds.

Other major shareholders include the Irish government and Aer Lingus employees, both of which rejected the takeover offer last time.

source: BBC

British airline Flybe is in talks to buy British Midland’s subsidiary operations bmi regional and bmi baby, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Lufthansa took over British Midland last month, but the German airline has indicated it is more interested in bmi’s long-haul routes and valuable Heathrow slots than in the two subsidiaries.

Bmi regional is UK-focused, while bmi baby is a low-cost airline that flies to a number of European destinations.

source: Reuters